Maximum cut-out.



G. I. VAN SWAAY & H. I. KEUS.

MAXIMUM CUT-OUT. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8. I915.

Patented June 26, 191?.

GJ van {)vvaaj,

H. I. Keus.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GERARDUS JAGOBUS VAN SWAAY, 0F DELFT, AND HENRI ISAAC KEUS, OF HENG-ELO, NETHERLANDS.

MAXIMUM CUT-OUT.

Application filed March 8, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Professor GERARDUs J ACOBUS VAN SWAAY, civil engineer, residing at Delft, Holland, and HENRI IslA'Ao KEUs, electrical engineer, residing at Hengelo, i\ etherlands subjects of the Queen of the Netherlands, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in and Relating to a Maximum Cut-Out, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switches which may be switched in and out by hand and which are further thrown out automatically on the current exceeding a predetermined value. I

This principle is known and is for instance brought into practice in many oil switches in which an electro-mechanical relay is provided acting on an armature directly or indirectly connected to the releasing device generally consisting of a pawl. This armature when being attracted, on the current in the relay exceeding a certain limit, releases thepawl, so causing the switch to be thrown out by means of a spring or weight, without the operating member being re turned thereby to its original out position, so that the automatic cut-out can not be influenced by holding the operating member.

The object of the present invention consists in the provision of a rotary maximum cut-out switch of compact form as for instance the shape of the well-known rotary light switches, in which all these properties are embodied and which is so constructed that it may be used as both hand operated switch and current limiting device in dwellings and the like in substitution of the usual installation consisting of a separate switch, a current limiting device and a fuse.

An important feature of the present invention consists in the provision of a coupling, adapted to connect the operating member to the bridging member which cou pling engages the latter by means of an electromagnetically actuated pawl only in the direction of closing the switch and during a part of or the whole angle across which the coupling is turned.

By this arrangement it is firstly rendered possible to turn the coupling backwardly without influencing the position of the bridging member, while lifting of the pawl suflices to make the bridging member entirely independent of the other parts of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1917..

Serial No. 13,014.

device, and secondly to render the position of the operating member before the switch is closed independent of the in and out positions of the bridging member, in other words which ever may be the position of the operating member before the switch is closed the bridging member will only be coupled to the operating member over the distance necessary to turn the bridging member from the out into the in position.

A second feature of the invention consists in the arrangement whereby only the bridging member is directly exposed to the tension of the quick-break spring while during the closing operation and after the switch is closed this tension is transmitted to the coupling through the bridging member itself and the electromagnetically actuated pawl and opposes the moving of the operating member in the direction of the in position. lVhen lifting the pawl therefore only the bridging member is caused to move into the out position, while the means for keeping the coupling and the operating member in the in position also serves to keep the bridging member in this position.

A third feature consists in an arrangement by means of which the bridging member on being closed is only arrested in one direction by means of a fixed stop, while the coupling is in this position only arrested in the opposite direction by means of a pawl. The advantage of this arrangement lies in the fact that after the switch has been thrown out it is at the same moment ready for being closed without necessitating the operating member being turned back to the original position and without necessitating a second arresting device being moved out of action.

A fourth feature is formed firstly by a special device between the operating member and the body of the coupling, consisting of a carrier fixed to the operating member and stops on the coupling-body which are engaged by the carrier only in the direction of the switching-in movement and secondly by a special form of the electro-magnetically actuated pawl mentioned above in this way that when turning this operating member in the direction opposite to the closing movement the carrier engages an abutment formed on the pawl, lifts it and so allows the bridging member being thrown out independently of the coupling.

A fifth feature is a special position of the electro-magneticallyor hand actuated pawl according to the fourth feature so that same is fixed to the coupling body in such manner that the abutment is situated next to one of the stops, with the carrier of the operating memberreaching between the nose on the pawl and the stop so that the carrier vhas always the' same relative position to the pawl, a constant, little amount of backward f the known current limiting apparatus as for instance the well known types with m'ercury contacts.

A constructional form of a switch embodying the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings; it must, however, be

understood that rotary maximum cut-out switches only showing the features of the inn 'vention in broken'line B' B of Fig. 1.

part are without the scope of the invention.

Figure 1 is .a vertical section on the center line of the device. v Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line A A of Fig. l looking'in the direction of the arrows; Q c Fig. 3 1s a slmllar sectlonal view Fig. 4; is a top view of theterminal board looking'from the line C C of Fig. 1 in the with three upwardly projecting posts '2. to; which thex-feetfi of the supporting plate 3" j for e the. coil 4 are fixedf. v.These parts are preferably 1 made lot-iron" in order. that they I m yQ-be c udedii' n.;;th g e ic '-i t-wfi 7 fwithintliFco'il jthe rotatable iron core "6 is Iii arranged; I The'upp'er part ofthis core pro-i fject s-fronithe coil.- and is provided with an x 'abut ne'nt'ornose .7. On the'coiI a,p1ate ';8 j plate a fdiskeQ 'freely'rotatable around the 1 'core 6" is m'O'untedLI The plate*8..and the disk 9 as'well as the supporting plate 3 are 3 slotted Si l" Order to avoid eddy-currents as] direction of the arrows. v v Fig. 5" is. an inside view of the bottom of the casing.

maybe sealed. i Fig. Sis atop ..,'The bottom 1 of they provided with" a zveaieai edge is secured,"in 'which I muchas possible. The disk 9 may be rotated by hand by means of the operating member '10 and the drivers 11 engaging the stops 12 stamped "out of and pro ecting upwardly from the disk 9;. Onthe disk 9 the brass pawl 15 isslidably mounted. in guides '13 and on the I v view of the base plate upon ,whichthe maximum cut-out is mounted. Q

cross section on the -D "D .1an-opening 44inthe bottom plate. I I ='-After the: switch has-been placed upon 14.. This M is providedwith a nose 16 adapted to catch underthe influence of the spring 17 into the recess adjacent to the abutment 7 of the core 6. The pawl 15 carries'the armature1 l8; in order to make the switch adaptedto cut out at difi'erent intensities of current the distance between the recess 20 in the vertical edge of the plate 8.

At itslower extremity and projecting from the coil 4 the core 6 carries the bridging member, consisting of an insulating bushing 21 inwhich the bridging contact consisting of contact strips 22 connected to each other by means of a ring plate 23 free so as to form'a bridging member from the core are embedded. Aroundthe insulating bushing 21 the insulating ring 23 carrying the terminals 24:, 25 of the coil and the contact springs-26, 27 is placed. The ring 23 is fixed by means of screws 28 to which a seal may be attachedp These screws connect the protecting cover 30, the supporting plate 3 andthebottom plate 1 by means of the posts 2 andthe feet 5; Of a spiral spring 31 one end is connected with the core 6 and the other'with thesupporting plate 3. A disk 32, provided with a projection 33 on its circumference, is attached to the core-6.

v The rotation of the core 6 by means of the disk 32 is limi'ted in both directions by stops 34, 35, stamped and'bent downwardly from the supporting plate 3.- The magneticffield p I a passes chiefly throughvthe armature 18 "by Figs. 6 and 7 are a side and-a top view .I' 'respectively'. of a protecting cover. which 0 x v,

providing an iron'strip36 fixed to the supporting plate'3 and reaching/with its free core jadap'tedto actas a magnetic blow-out.

' ;-To1the bottom plate a-terminal box 37 is fixedjinwhich the'insulating block 38 with the usual terminal screws is'placed. This terminal bOXjiS protected bygthe cover 40 Before the connections are made, the base .whic'hjiis. sealed through the lips 41 after the fs'w'itchhas been connected'up.

plate l2 is secured to'thefswitehboard or the 1 like}? .The Ibase' plate isap'rovided with a the base plate with the projection 43 reach dove tailedgprojection'43 adapted to engage the lips 41. I On account of the screws 28.

bein sealed'aswellthe mechanism is inac-' 3 cessi 1e. to the man charged with installing the switch. An insulating plate 4 5 covers the opening 44' during transport.

The maximum cut-out now operates as follows:

In the drawing the normal out position is illustrated. When switching in the operating member 10 is turned in a clockwise direction, whereby the drivers 11 moves the disk 9 with the pawl mounted thereupon, the spring 19 thereby sliding along the inside of the vertical edge of the plate 8, while 10 the nose 16 slides over the circumference of the core 6.

'After the operating member has beeen turned about 270 the nose engages the abutment 7 and during the further rotation of the operating member in the clockwise directionthe core 6 is caused to follow this movement, thereby tensioning the spring 31'. After the operating member 10 has been rotated 360 the spring 19 engages the opening 20,

20 while further movement is prevented by the stop 35 and the projection 33. In releasing the operating member 10 the spring 19' prevents the return movement of the coupling and the bridging member under the influence of the spring 31. As soon as the armature 18 is attracted the nose 16 no longer prevents the return movement of the core and by the action of the spring 31 the bridging member is thrown out. In order to switch out by hand the operating member is slightly turned in a counter-clockwise direction, until the carrier engages the edge 29 of the pawl 15 and pushes the latter out of engagement with the abutment 7 35 Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric maximum cut-out switch, an operating member, a loose member, means whereby said operating member drives said loose member when closing the switch, a contact-carrying member, means whereby a disengageable connection is formed between the loose member and the contact-carrying member when the operating member is moved to close the switch, and means whereby the operating member may disengage said connection.

2. In an electric maximum cut-out switch,

an operating member, a loose member, means whereby said operating member drives said loose member in one direction only when closing the switch, a contact-carrying member, means whereby a disengageable connection is formed between the loose member and the contact-carrying member when the operat-- ing member is moved to close the switch,

means for holding the loose member in a fixed position when the switch is closed, and

means whereby the operating member may disengage said connection leaving the loose member in said position.

3. In an electric maximum cut-out switch,

a bridging member, a central spindle adapted to actuate said bridging member, a loose ber when moved in the forward direction member co-axially arranged on said spindle, an abutment projecting outwardly from said central spindle, an electromagnetically operated pawl mounted on said loose member and having an inwardly projecting portion adapted to engage said abutment when the loose member is rotated, an operating member adapted to drive said loose member in a forward direction, and a pawl arresting the loose member when it reaches the switchedin position.

4. In an electric maximum cut-out switch, a bridging member, a central spindle adapted to actuate said bridging member, a loose member co-axially arranged on said spindle, 30 an abutment projecting outwardly from said central spindle, a non-magnetic pawl mounted on said loose member and having an inwardly projecting portion adapted to engage said abutment when the loose member 35 is rotated, a paramagnetic armature adjustable on said pawl, an operating member adapted to drive said loose member in a forward direction, and a pawl arresting the loose-member when it reaches the switchedin position.

5. In an electric maximum cut-out switch, a bridging member, a central spindle adapted to actuate said bridging member, and formed of paramagnetic material, an elec- 9i tromagnet coil surrounding said spindle so that the latter is traversed by the magnetic field, a loose member co-axially arranged on said spindle, 'an abutment projecting outwardly from said central spindle, a nonmagnetic pawl mounted on said loose member and having an inwardly projecting portion adapted to engage said abutment when the loose member is rotated, a paramagnetic armature on said pawl, an operating member adapted to drive said loose member in a forward direction, and a pawl mounted on said loose member to arrest it when it reaches the switched-in position.

6. In an electric maximum cut-out switc an operating member, a spindle carrying a bridging member, a loose member between said operating member and the spindle of the bridging member, an electro-magnetically-influenced releasing pawl on said loose member engaging said spindle in the forward direction only, a loose coupling between said loose member and said operating member adapted to engage said loose memand to engage and lift said releasing pawl when moved in the backward direction.

7. In an electric maximum-cut-out-switch, an operating member, a spindle carrying a bridging member, a loose member between said operating member and the spindle of the brldgjng member, an electro-magnetically-influenced releasing pawl on said loose member engaging said spindle in the forward direction only, stops on said loose 130 disk co-acting with a vent rotation of said disk in the backward member, a driver connected to said operating member adapted to engage said stops when moved in the forward direction, said driver being further adapted to engage and lift said releasing pawl, when moved in the backward direction.

8. In an electric maximum cut-out switch, the combination of an operating member, a rotatable bridging member carried by but insulated from its spindle, stationary contact members adapted to be engaged by said bridging member on rotation of said spindle, an abutment on said spindle, a disk loose from said spindle and said operating member, a releasing pawl of non-magnetic material on said disk engaging said abutment on said spindle, a paramagnetic armature adjustably connected to said pawl, stops on said disk, a driver, connected to the operat ing member, engaging said stops when turned in the forward direction and lifting said releasing pawl when turned in the backward direction, a sprinpawl on said loose fi xed member to predirection when the switch has been closed, a spring acting on said spindle and opposing the switching in movement of said bridging member and fixed stops co-acting with said bridging member for limiting a rotating movement in both directions.

9.: In an electric maximum cut-out switch the combination of an operating member, a rotatable bridging member carried by but insulated from its spindle, stationary con-. tact members adapted to be engaged by said bridging member on rotation of said spindle,

an abutment on said spindle, a disk loose from said spindle and said operating member, a releasing pawl of non-magnetic materialon said disk engaging said abutment on said spindle, a paramagnetic armature adjustably connected to said pawl, an electric coil around said spindle, paramagnetic strips outside said coil conducting the magnetic flux induced by said coil from one end of said spindle to the opposite end, saidstrips being so dimensioned and arranged that a sufficient stray field passes between the contacts of said bridging member when being switched out, stops on said disk, a driver connected to the operating member engaging said stops when being turned in I names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GERARDUS JACOBUS VAN SWAAY.

HENRI ISAAC KEUS. Witnesses:

H. YURRIAANU, A. O. NELSON. 

